Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Avon Mega Watt Nail Enamel and Speed Dry+ Top Coat

Yesterday I spent the bulk of my day swatching nail polish. Bottle after bottle, shade after shade. It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it...

One of the collections I spent some time with was the new Avon Mega Watt neons. Yes, neons! I've said it before, but I think it merits being said again: Avon has really stepped up their game. These are some really great shades with a really interesting formula. Read on for a peek...

Along with the Mega Watt collection, Avon also introduced their first fast drying top coat. Avon Speed Dry+ in Clear seemed like the perfect match for the Mega Watt shades, as they don't dry to a completely shiny finish (more on that in a moment.) I used the Speed Dry+ top coat for all my swatches and I kind of love it. I like that it sets the surface of polish quickly but is thin on the nail, meaning you can use it between coats if you're working on nail looks with different layers of polish. To top off a manicure, it doesn't dry as fast as that other guy *coughs*Seche Vite*coughs* but it does give a great shine and I didn't experience any shrinkage.

The Mega Watt collection is made up of five bright, vivid shades. While these do dip their toe into the neon pool, they're not as blindingly bright as some on the market. This is great for those who want to partake in the trend, but don't feel comfortable in the super bright, day-glow shades. What is really interesting about these is the formula... they're what I'm calling 'crellies' as they're a sort of cream/jelly hybrid with a slightly squishy look that dries to a semi matte finish. These are on the sheer side, which will make them great contenders for layering and gradients.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear- White On 0.45oz $3.99

As I mentioned, these are a sheer, but they do build up nicely after a few coats, but nail line still sneaks through. Like most neons, the best way to get the most 'pop' is to layer them over a white polish. My white of choice is Sally Hansen Xtream Wear in White On. It's a basic white cream, but it applies easily in two coats.

For all swatches I've used two coats of White On, a coat of Speed Dry+ top coat, two coats of Mega Watt polish and another coat of Speed Dry+. I have to mention that these shades were a bit tricky to photograph. I found flash just didn't work on most shades, but my camera is quite fussy when the flash isn't open, so some of the photos aren't quite as crisp as I would have liked, as these are brighter than they appear. It was either colour accuracy or clarity with these. Colour won this time.

Avon Mega Watt Nail Enamel- Voltage*

Voltage is a bright orange shade. It's not blinding, but it is vivid and bright.

Avon Mega Watt Nail Polish- Hot Pants*

Hot Pants is a bright red based coral-pink. Can we take a moment and appreciate the name of this one? Quite possibly the best name for a neon.

Avon Mega Watt Nail Polish- Pop*

Pop is a bright, slightly fuchsia, pink. It's the lone shade that agreed to play well with flash.

Avon Mega Watt Nail Enamel- Electric*

Electric is a pink based lavender shade. It isn't so much bright, but vivid, but is so pretty and totally summer in a bottle.

Avon Mega Watt Nail Enamel- Shock*

Shockis a vivid royal blue. I love shades like this! They're bright yet grounded and a really saturated pop of colour.

Overall, these are really great shades, especially if ultra-bright neons aren't your thing. My favourites are Hot Pants and Shock. Are you feeling the neon trend this year? Which shades do you like?Speed Dry+ Top Coat is available now and Mega Watt Nail Enamel will be available as of July from Avon Independent Sales Representative, by calling 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca